The Woman with Violet eyes
by Skye Renegarde
Summary: General Disclaimer: Not mine unfortunately....-tear- wish i could be creative and come up with an awesome story like hers...lol... Summary: Degebri, dead? not really... (short sweet and to the point lol)
1. The Return

A/N: Hey! This is my first fic…lemme know what you think!! R&R!!

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Meliara awoke in a cold sweat, her hands trembling.  She felt for Danric, but he wasn't there.  Why wasn't he ever there?!  He always had somewhere else to be whenever she needed him.  Now it was some trouble in the west, and before that it was raids on the southern border.  He always seemed to find a place and time for everyone but her.

Her rational side told her he loved her more than his work, but he needed to keep the country safe.  Her rational side also told her that she would be fine without him, but she wouldn't.  It had been almost six months since her miscarriage, but she still felt like it was only the day before.

She made her way into the bath chamber, washing her face, looking at herself in the mirror, blue eyes staring back.  She remembered the dream…

~~_It was morning in her dream, right before court would meet. All the ladies were getting ready, but she was still abed. By the time she awoke and sped to court, she found her beloved Danric with another woman.  He was doing his best to hide a smile, but it shone in his provocative gray eyes.  The woman was giggling behind her fan, her blue eyes, matching Meliara's, were looking at her and mocking her.  The blonde had stolen her man.  Her Danric…gone.  _

_She would always spin around in her recurring dream, and Flauvic was there, smiling lustfully at her. She would try and scream for Danric, but her voice wouldn't come…it never came. Danric would be off flirting with his woman while she was dragged off by Flauvic.~~_

She never believed the dream. She knew Flauvic was growing nicely in the old throne room, a lovely goldenwood tree.

She sighed and pulled on a robe and some slippers, making her way to the palace gardens, hoping they would relieve her of her stress.  The trees always rustled slightly, and the flowers left the air smelling sweet.  Nothing in the gardens could ever quite match the way the hills were…actually they were Bran's hills now.

Her slippers made soft noises on the stone pathways of the garden, her nightgown rustling about her ankles.  The garden was quiet…no one else was around…no one.  She felt so alone without her husband there.  Her brother was staying the Residence with Nee, but she wanted Danric's re-assuring arm about her shoulders, his lips on hers…

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Watching her from the shadows of the garden were two violet eyes with a small smirk creeping into them.  The queen was alone in the garden…the perfect place to strike, but he wouldn't allow it.  His plan was a secret.  She silently cursed him, biting her lip to keep from saying them allowed. His plan was taking too long…her plan would work faster…it would be easier.

**_--Don't even think about it Skye. We do not move until the opportune moment!—_**

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_--And when exactly it this opportune moment?!--_ She replied to the voice in her head.  She never replied allowed, then people would think she was crazy.  It would also give away her very sensitive watch-post…

****

**_--When I say so.  Observe only!—_**

_--Yes Sir.-- _ She grumbled back.  Her 'employer' so to speak, was a telepath of sorts.  It was rather annoying to have him be able to read her mind all the time…predicting her moves.  Actually…it was very annoying.

She slinked back slowly, making no noise as she slipped into the shadows by the castle walls, leaving the Queen to her thoughts.  She would strike soon…whether or not he said she could…she would.

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Meliara spun as she thought she heard something rustle in the bushes behind her.  She shook her head.  Her mind was playing tricks on her again…it was probably only an animal.  She sighed and plucked a ruby rose from the bush beside her, careful to avoid the thorns.  She placed it behind her ear, the red hue coming close to the color of her hair.

She sighed and moved towards the front gates, ears perking up at the sound of hoof beats in the cobblestone courtyard.  She ran as fast as she could without ripping her nightgown, out the garden gates and across the lawn to the stabling area, searching frantically for the dapple gray and his rider.

She walked up to the captain of the riding squad Danric had taken with him, "Derai? Derai, dear, where is Vidanric?" She asked urgently.

The man turned to see Meliara clad in only her nightgown and robe and chuckled slightly. "My, my, your Majesty, what are you doing about so late?" He asked with a soft chuckle.

Meliara scowled playfully at her friend.  She had met him a few months ago when Danric had dragged her along on some mission she knew nothing about, and didn't care to know about. "You know perfectly well that I am here to see Vidanric, so IF you don't mind…" She said, waiting for his answer.

"Ah, I thought I heard the commanding voice of the Lady of the House around here somewhere," a familiar voice said dryly, causing Mel to spin and narrow her eyes at him. "Ah, and the death glare to go with it I see…" Danric said, his voice betraying his amusement.

"Danric…" Mel said in a low, foreboding voice.

Derai chuckled softly, "I'd best be leaving before I get eaten alive too.  Your Majesties." He said with a low bow and he wandered off to stable his horse.

"Derai! Wait for me!" Danric called out teasingly before turning to look at his putting wife.  "Aw, c'mon Mel, don't pout.  It is very unbecoming!" he said, tweaking her nose.

"Oh yes, I quite forgot that." She said back, narrowing her eyes even more.

Danric laughed, scooping her up into his arms, kissing her gently, like he always did in public, and, as always, sending a shock up her spine at the sheer enjoyment of it.

Danric was _home_.

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A/N: So…whaddya think?! Please! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!! I have another chapter in the works, but I won't post it unless it is wanted by SOMEONE…lol *teary eyed* all I want is to be loved! Lol, jk. Please give an honest opinion!!! PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE! Ooh, pretty pretty princess… ^.~ anyway…enough of my ramblings…go review!!


	2. The Capture

A/N: Thank you guys for your lovely comments! *huggles* I feel so special! I didn't like it much, but, then again, an author is the harshest critic! ^.~

Sorry it took me FOREVER to get this up…I have had quite a lack of sleep and time…lol

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Danric had only been home for a day and a half.  It was more like three, but to poor Meliara, it seemed like it was less…

"No. I refuse to let you go out again Vidanric Renselaeus." Mel said, her blue-gray eyes scowling at her husband who stood across the room.

"But Mel, I have too!" Danric said, shaking his head and packing. He ran a hand through his cool pale locks as he glanced at Mel over his shoulder before continuing to grab his belongings he needed for his trip. "It will only be for a week…a week and a half at most."

"You just got home though!" She complained.  She hated it when he left, and he knew it.  She glared at him with cold eyes, her heart breaking. It had been such a hard year…and a long year.

"I need to show the country I can be a strong, but just leader, unlike Galdran was." He sighed. "Can you imagine the people rising up like you did?" He asked. "I can. I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire!" he added in a low voice, his provocative gray eyes looking at her, boring into her soul.

"But—"

"No buts. Life! You saved this country, can't you just watch over it for me while I am away?" He asked.

"You are _always_ away, damn it!" She said in a huff.

"I am not, and you know it. I don't need and of Galdran's old supporters causing trouble out in the valley…" He replied, stepping closer to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Look Mel, I'll be fine. Just let me take care of this and I will be home as soon as I can be."

"Why can't you just…send someone else?" She asked, pleading now.

He chuckled softly, running a hand through her long red locks, "Like 'greedy Galdran' did? You saw how well Baron Degebri did…" He said with a chuckle. 

"AND how well you did…betting on me like I was a horse race." She said scowling.

"I believe this country needs a personal touch…" He said softly, "Like my wife needs my touch…"

"Danric…stop it…you're making me feel better." She said, scowling as she refused to look up at him.

He tucked a finger beneath her chin, raising it so she was forced to look in his gray eyes. "I know…" He said, pulling her in close and kissing her passionately, pulling away only when someone rapped on the door to call Danric to duty. "Goodbye Mel…" He said and with a swish of his cape, he was gone.

_--Damn him!-- _she thought to herself.  He always made her feel better before she left. She moved towards the window, looking out over the courtyard. She saw him mount his dappled gray, his water-resistant black cloak blowing slightly in the wind, his hat pulled low over his eyes. He looked up for only a second, blowing Mel a kiss, then leading the group out of the courtyard. --_Come home safely and soon Danric--_She thought, turning to head down to the library for a good book, but running right into a slender woman she had never seen before. "Hello…um…who are you?"

"Oh…no one especially…My name is Skye." The woman replied, her violet eyes glinting in the light of the glow globes.

"Right…Skye…nice to meet you. Can I get by then?" She asked, trying to go around her, but the woman moved to block her way.

"No." She said with a smile.

"What do you want?" Mel asked tersely, her temper running short, her hand on her slender hips. She surveyed the woman named Skye more closely. She had an athletic build, yet very feminine and sleek.  Her hair was cropped short between her chin and shoulders and spun into curls a red that rivaled that of fresh summer strawberries.  Her complexion was paler and she had a light dusting of freckles across her nose. Unlike most women, Skye was in a pair of black worn breeches and a black peasant like shirt, very loose in form. But the woman's eyes, her shocking violet eyes, were her most prominent feature.  They were large and…well hard to explain, shaded by dark lashes and perfectly shaped eyebrows. There seemed to be no end to the depth behind them. Mel could tell that every emotion the woman felt would be exposed in her soulful eyes.

"Because you have an old friend who wants to see you."

"Really. Isn't that nice. Now will you PLEASE let me pass? You can tell me all about it on my way to the library." Mel said moving around the woman who let her pass this time.

"He would like to see you in person." Skye replied demurely, fiddling with a curl of her strawberry colored hair.

Mel felt a pinprick at the back of her neck and she swatted back at it, hitting her skin beneath her hair. "He?" She asked, her vision clouding slightly.

"Yes. The good Baron wishes to be reunited with his former foe." 

"Baron? Baron who?" Mel asked, taking another step, stumbling almost drunkenly.

"Oh…you will find out." Skye said with a maniacal laugh as the limp form of Meliara slumped to the floor. --Galdran's old supporters my foot. But it worked. Degebri will be very pleased.-- 

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*dramatic reverb* what will happen next?! Lol

That's all…R&R!!


	3. Realizations

A/N: Tehehehehe I left a cliffie last time, so I worked as fast as I could to get the next chapter up, but I won't promise that there won't be another cliffie at the end…I think that that keeps the readers intrigued…lol

Thankies for the nice reviews!! huggles reviewers and after several reviews that yelled at me to write more…lol jk. I am nearing the end of school now, and should have much more time to update for u guyz!

And sorry for the length of time between updates…I have been extremely busy! hides don't throw things! Peez! lol

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"That's the last one sir." Derai said with a slight bow. "All of the rebels have been either hauled in or killed."

Danric made a sour face, "Good job. Get the healers from camp and bring them to the wounded. Our men first, then the rebels." He said, looking around him. "And get as many men as possible to start digging graves before this place begins to smell too bad." Danric added, waving a hand under his nose.

Derai bowed. "Yessir," He said before turning to bellow out the orders to the troops.

Danric sighed and made his way to where the prisoners were being held. It was a makeshift prison under a big tree, all the men tied together and to the tree. They weren't going anywhere any time soon. Looking at the men and their disheveled appearance made Danric think back to the time he 'interrogated' his beloved Mel. He almost laughed.

One of the men said something crude, making the others laugh and jeer.

"Why do you laugh at me? The man you work for is dead! What is you cause?" He asked, looking at them with cold gray eyes.

"He is not dead!"

"Degebri will never die!"

As they all continued to cheer for their leader, Danric thought. "Degebri?" he muttered, "Degebri is dead!" He called over the din of their celebratory noise.

The entire group yelled out and laughed at him. Danric was completely confused! How the…Degebri alive?! He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a voice calling out his name. He turned to see one of the wounded ruffians smiling crazily at him. "Degebri…will never…die. It was…all a…trap! He…he has her…now," the man said.

"He has who?" Danric asked, taking a step closer to the dying man.

"M…Meliara," He said, laughing until the last breath left his body.

"Derai! Report!" He called and the young man spun to face Dan, then trotted over to him.

"Yes sir?" He asked.

"Do you have any word from my household?" he asked urgently.

"Sir, the post just arrived with that currier." Derai said, pointing over at the young man who was practically falling over with exhaustion.

Danric wasted no time and trotted over to the man. "Letters!" He said in an urgent voice.

"Right-o sir." The weary man said, handing them over. "The one on top's extra urgent sire."

"Get this man fed and rested!" Danric said to the nearest soldier as he tore into the letter, eyes hungrily absorbing the hastily written words. It took him two or three reads to fully get the message. In the writer's haste, their penmanship had been quite horrid.

"I ride for home!" he said, "Inform Derai he is in charge!"

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Mel awoke to the rather unpleasant scent of mold, mildew and rot. The cold, grimy stones at her back had left her stiff from her dreamless unconscious rest.

She groaned slightly, rolling her head to get the kinks out of her neck, pausing only when she heard the melodic and rather unwelcome voice of Skye.

"Awake, are we?" she asked, stepping towards Mel.

"What was your first indication?" Mel asked in a cold voice.

"Sarcastic, aren't we? Well that's not my problem…it's his. I only sit here and make sure you don't pull anything funny. He doesn't want you to escape this time. He was most upset when you got away last time and ruined everything for him. You and that Sheverath." The woman said with utter distaste.

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't as smart as he gives you credit for, are you? Haven't figured it out yet, have you?"

"Figured what out?" Mel asked in an exasperated tone.

"Who my master is and why he wants you…" The lady replied, studying her nails.

"Would you stop being so enigmatic and just tell me then?" Mel asked, hoping that knowing who her captor was would shed some light on her current situation.

"Maybe."

Mel gave a frustrated sigh, "Why don't you just tell me?!"

"Because this is so much more fun." The woman replied with a childish smile.

"Stop bothering her, Skye." A cold voice said from the dark stone hallway.

She knew that voice…but she couldn't place it, until the form of the greedy baron stepped into the pale torchlight.

"You…you're dead!" Mel gasped.

"Really? That's funny. I don't feel too dead…" He said with a cold laugh.


	4. The Truth

Danric's heart was racing as he sped towards the castle. Thousands of images raced through his head. Where could she be? Could he really be alive? How did he survive?

There were so many questions and no answers. All he knew is that something was not right and Mel was not home.

With what the dying man had said and the news, he had the most unlikely situation in mind. Degebri was shot in the back. There is no way to live!

"Woooo." He said, slowing the horse to a trot as he waited for the gates to open. Bran and Nee were waiting for him on the other side.

"Fill me in on every detail." He said in a grave tone as he dismounted.

Skye sniggered at the shocked face that was painted on Mel's face.

"You see, my dear Meliara, things can change when the king thinks you are dead. It is much easier to sneak around when you are not supposed to be alive. That way, anyone who does see you, thinks themself mad and would not tall another soul, and if they did, then everyone else would think them mad. It's all quite simple really," He said, pure amusement lacing his grin.

Meliara opened her mouth to say something, but was unable to find her voice. There were so many questions! Thoughts and ideas intermingled in her head causing weird reasons and impossible situations.

"Let's see…ah here is an interesting question that you have floating about in that petite head of yours! How am I alive? Well let me give you the short version. No one really bothered to check if I was dead and in fact, though I was close to those black gates, I had never passed through them. My body was paralyzed and my mind was clouded over. It seems the tree-people you hold so dear made one small mistake. When they laced the arrows with magic, they didn't forget about the one heading for me. They put magic in that one as well to make it resistant to any other influences, giving the wood new life as well as more magic. When the arrow struck my back, it hit my spinal chord. The magic mixed with my system, and here I am with advanced magics, controlled by my mind," He said with an evil smirk pulling at his lips.

"You…you…vile beast!" Meliara stuttered.

"HEY! Don't you talk to my master that way you worthless piece of hill trash. Don't forget your humble beginnings lady queen!" The woman named Skye half yelled, raising herself from the little stool she was perched on.

"Calm yourself love. Come here and open up the bars for me," He crooned.

Skye smiled, "Certainly."

The bars creaked open and Meliara had nothing to protect her from the old baron. He reached down and grabbed her chin, pulling her up to his eye level, a smile playing on his lips.

"The same beautiful hair, enigmatic eyes, and comely figure. Its good to see that palace life hasn't ruined you much…" He said.

His words made her shiver and the look of lust in his pig like eyes was enough to make her whimper, but she didn't. She stood as firmly as she could.

"I can read your thoughts. I can control your mind. Do not think that your worst fears will not come true," He said, throwing her against the wall and leaving with a laugh.

"Keep the wench locked up," He said, stalking out of the dungeon with an important air about him.

Skye smiled. "I'd be more than happy to."

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Okies here we are. I updated finally and won't be able to for about another month since I am going on vacation with a friend…hope you like it!! Oh and sorry its so short…


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